How to Reduce Overwhelm

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Free download checklist to help you execute this weekly schedule and planning process

Why Take Time to Create a Weekly Schedule and Plan?

Do you ever feel completely out-of-control and behind the curve?

You’re late to meetings, to kid’s events, and you have to buy a birthday present at the grocery store as a last resort since you didn’t plan ahead?

Do you end up eating out a lot or ordering in, and the kids are eating way too much pizza than you wanted?

I think we can all relate to these stories and the frantic feeling from time-to-time.

You CAN get control of it by spending 20 minutes over the weekend planning out the week. Create a weekly schedule and plan. It’s DEFINITELY worth the time investment.

What Does An Effective Weekly Schedule / Plan Include?

I’ve tried tons of different weekly schedule / plan approaches and philosophies. Here’s what I’ve found works best for me. I hope you’ll take this and tweak it so it works great for you too.

I find that it’s an evolution, and not a hard-and-fast process. Have a little fun with it!

1. Review the previous week – accomplishments. I used to think looking back at the past was a GINORMOUS (is that a word?) waste of time

I thought, I don’t have time to do this, it’s much better to keep moving forward.

But, as soon as I tried out the concept of writing out my wins, something BIG HAPPENED. I stopped beating myself up as much for the stuff that wasn’t getting done, and I recognized that I was accomplishing much more than I realized.

That’s a huge take-away for a 5 minute investment!

2. Review the previous week – what didn’t get done and what can you adjust? I used to skip this activity too because I honestly wanted to avoid the feeling of disappointment.

Then, I shifted from treating everything as pass/fail to looking at it as a learning opportunity.

So what if I don’t get it all done?

I just make a quick list of what I planned that didn’t happen and then spend time determining WHY. Sometimes it’s the unexpected coming in and robbing me of the time I had set aside. Sometimes it’s my own mind playing tricks on me, trying to keep me from doing this work and in my comfort zone.

It’s so helpful to see these root causes and learn from them!

3. Review 90 day goals

Before setting the weekly schedule and plan, I review my 90 day goals. I find it’s so critical to have this perspective as I start diving into the detail and the week’s schedule.

4. Set a list of 3 MUST COMPLETE actions for the week

I set my list of 3 non-negotiable actions for the week.

5. Complete a mind dump

I find a great way to manage overwhelm, and to be more organized is to have a running list of everything that needs to get done. It’s the master to do list.

Mine is in an app and has tasks on there that are immediate, some long-term, and some that don’t have a date yet because they’re not yet important.

If you have one of these master lists, you’re ready to do step #5 of the weekly schedule and plan process.

If you don’t, create one. I use Toodledo(this is my referral link) for this but you can use any to-do app you like, or even a piece of paper.

6. Update your calendar

The next step in the weekly schedule and plan process is to update your calendar. This can be an electronic calendar and/or a paper calendar:

Block off time for your big 3 priorities

Schedule any of your to-dos from step #5 that need to be completed this week

Notice special events and list anything you need to do to prep (e.g. buying birthday presents, getting clothes ready, etc)

Make sure you have some buffer time, especially for events you need to drive to

DELETE what you can. Is there anything on the schedule that doesn’t fit with your priorities?

7. Jot out your meal plan

Your meal plan can be as elaborate or as simple as you want.

Some people go all out with creativity and variety. I say go for it if you love cooking.

If cooking is more of a necessity for you (like it is for me), you can repeat the same menu every week.

Or, you can set a nightly theme and quickly pick out receipts that fit those themes

Or, use pre-defined plans like Fresh20.

Or meal delivery like Blue Apron.

8. Order groceries

Figure out what groceries you need for your meal plan, and order them online. This saves so much time and money.

9. Review one last time to make sure you have everything covered in the weekly schedule and plan.

I like to have a quick 15 minute family meeting after dinner on Sundays to review the week’s plan.

I go over the schedule, and then each family member talks about what they’re most excited for in the coming week. It’s a great way to connect!

10. Review the plan nightly.

Review this plan every night for the next day, to make sure it’s still up-to-date and no surprises or conflicts have popped up.

Also, double check how you’re doing on top 3.

Repeat these 10 steps every week to keep the overwhelm at a minimum and to make sure you’re always making the most out of your time.

Recap

Creating a weekly schedule and plan helps to minimize overwhelm and make sure you and your family is using all your time to the fullest.

I shared the 10 steps to plan out your best week.

Be sure to repeat this process weekly.

To Make this Easy to Implement — Here’s a Checklist Download For You 👇📌

Did You Know?

I’m a success coach for working moms. I work with other moms to create and execute the mindset, strategies and routines that are required get out of survival mode and achieve your goals, both personally and professionally.

Think of it as a re-set for ambitious moms who want to maximize what they do, who they are, and all they impact to make the most out of life.

I’ll coach you through building the plan and identifying your next steps. Then, we’ll talk for a few minutes at the end about what I do and if we might be good working together. I’m not a salesperson so don’t expect a sales call. I only accept clients who are a good fit.

This is time focused on you and your goals, and how to get to the next level.